Corn-harvester.



R. E. MEHARRY.

CORN HARVESTER.

APPLICATION fzuzu ulm. 15. 191s.

Patented Feb. 12, V19m 4 SHEETS-SHEE l.

dnnes,

R. E.'MEHARRY.

coRN mmvesm MPLICATION FILED IMK. |5.'l9l6.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

' 4 SHEETS-SNEEK 2.

R. E.MHARRY. com: gewesten. APPLlcATloN man MAR. ls. me.

Patented Feb.12,`1918.

. 44 SHEETS-SHEET 3- R. E. MEHARRY.

'C0RN.HARVESTERl APPLICATION FILED ma. is. |916.

1,256,347. Patented I e1 .12,1'918.4

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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1 5 1 and in which the ears that are detached from UMTED sTaTEs PATENT carton.,

- ROBERT n. MEHARRY, or coL'FAx, ILLINOIS.

CORN-HARVESTER.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it-known that I, ROBERT l E. MEHARRY, a cltizen ofthe United States, residin Colfax', in the county of McLean and tate of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Corn-Harvesters, of which i' the following is a specilication.

This invention relates tocorn barvesters, and it has particular reference to that typeof corn harvestinnr machines whereby the ears are snapped from the stalks while the latter are standing in the ield. 7

The invention has for its object to produce a simple vand effective machine of' the type referred to which will be self propelling,

the stalks will be conveyed to a husking `mechanism by means of which the liusks are detached4 before the ears are coni eyed to a receptacle such as the box of a wagon that may travel alongside of the harvesting machine.

, f but that changes, alterations and modifica-V A further object of the invention is to provide simple and eii'ective. means for saving such grains as may become detached from the ears. during the husking process.

With those and other ends in View which will readilv appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved constructiop and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. vIn the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple a'nd preferred form of vthe'invention, it being, however, understood that no'limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,

tions within the scope ofthe claimsy may be resorted to when desired.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructedin accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a .side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken .o n the line 3-3 in Fig. .1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on lthe line 4 -4 in Fig. 1.-

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Application tiled March 15, .1916. Serial No. 84,376.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional detail view taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 6--6 of'Fig` 3.

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of a set of snapping rolls and related parts. Fig. 7 is a detail view of some of the parts.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings are denoted by like characters of reference.

The main frame of the machine includes side members or sills 15 supported on an axle 16 having ground wheels 17. rlhe forward portion of the frame is supported on the front wheels or steering wheels 18, the same being mounted on spindles 19 at the lower ends of upright rods 2O which are guided in lugs or ears 21 on the sides of the frame. the rods 20 being slidable and revoluble with respect to thel lugs. -Means to be hereinafter described will be provided for raising and lowering the frame with respect yto the upright rods 20.

The machine illustrated in the. drawings is adapted to operate on two rows of corn,

and the forward end of the frame is pro-Y vided with divergent` gathering arms or members 22 adapted to receive between them the rows of corn. stalks. the same being guided bv endless chains 23 in the direction of the snapping rolls 24 which are arranged i-n pairs. as shown, said snapping rollsbeing conicallypointed at their 4'orwar-.l ends, as

.1s customary.

Mounted on the main frame of thema-" ,ch/ine is a motor M which may be an internal combustmn motor 'of any well known type, sald motor having a main driven shaft 25 2O f by a chain 4l toa counter shaft 42 which is from which .motion is transmitted by a chain or belt 26 to a counter shaft 27. The counter shaftv 27 carries a sprocket wheel 28 which is adapted to be connected with said shaft for rotation therewith by means of a spring actuated clutch 29 operable l'y a shipping lever 30 which is connected by a flexible element 31 with a hand lever 32, said flexible element being guided over a pulley 33. The sprocket wheel 28 is connected by a chain 34 with a sprocket wheel 35 on a transversely disposed shaftl 36 which is provided at the ends thereof with bevel gears 37 meshing with bevel gears 38 on shafts '39,.one shaft 39 being connected with a lsnapping roll 2,4' of each set for the purpose of driving tion vin a vertical plane substantially at right angles to the shaft 42, and the upper ends of said shafts' 45 being forwardly inclined,

' as'will be clearly seen by reference to Fig.

3. The shafts 45 arejfpegnnected with similar shafts 46 disposed'in parallel relation thereto by means lof inter-meshing gears 47,

. the shafts 46 being thus rotated oppositely to the shafts 45. rllhe-shafts 45, 4C are each provided with sprocket wheels 48 over which the stalk elevatingv chains 49 4are guided,

the links of said chains being provided at suitable intervals with lingers 50. The forward portions of the elevating chains 49 are guided over sprocket wheels 51 on shafts 52,

'best seen in Fig. 3, said shafts Leing also provided withsprocket wheels 53.?ver which the gathering chains 23 are vtxaine.l the forward portions-of said gathering chains be- Y bracket 57. The rearward end of each blade e0 58 engages the wrist 'portion 60 of a crank] in guided over idlers54. v

rackets 55 are provided above and adjacent to the snapping rolls of each pair for the purpose df supporting blades 56, one such blade belng supported longitudinally above and adjacent to one snappmg roll of each pair. Lugs or brackets 57 are also provided lwithv which are movably connected the forward ends of serrated bars or blades 58 that extend longitudinally above and ade -jacent to the other roll of each pair, each of said pivoted blades beingv provided with a slot 59 engaging the pivot member 57 wherebyv sa1d blade is connected with the 61, said cranks being formed at the lower 1 endsof the shafts 45.l llt will be steen'fthat v i the cranks 61`serve to 'impart vibratory and longitudinally slidable motion to the blades f possibilit trough being upwar -lclined and provided at-its lower and upper retaper' 58 which coperate with the blades 56 to snap or sever the stems' whereby the earsareattac'hed to the stalks. nally slidable movement of the blades 58 in connection with the vibratory movement of said blades will also serve to assist in feeding the stalks of each hill rearwardly bemashed by passing between t e snapping-tl rolls, thus involving a'loss which in the aggregate becomes very considerable. By the coactin I snapping plates 56 and 58 it is foundl t at the stems will be severed before the ears themselves pass in contact with the snapping rolls, the main function of the A latter being to pull or buckle the stalks downwardly. Loss of' grain atthis stage will thus be avoided.

The earsl that are detached from the stalks are guided over inclined planes or chutes 62, 63 to a conveyer trough 64 whereinoperates the lower forward portion of anV endless con veyer 65, the .forward portion of said conveyer being guided over an idle roller 66d The longtudiv fl`he conveyer trough 64 has an upwardly ,inclined rearward pprtion 67 near the upper end of which a short transverse shaft 68 is supportedfor rotation, said shaft carryin a roller 69 over :which the upper rearward p'ortion of the conveyer 65 is trained, and said shaft being driven bya' transmission `chain 69 from the shaft 36.v The lower lead ofthe conveyer 65 is ided over a roller 70 portions 64 and 67 of the conveyer trough-v and the top lead of the conveyer is engaged -by idlers one of which may be seen at 71,

ofears. being .dropped on the ground a ebeing detached from the stalks. The secon ary conveyer 73 is mounted for 105 which is located at t e anglebetween thev adual 'Y v are housed or guar ed vby plates 74 of sheet v 'metal or other suitable material to avoidf operation in a trough or casing 75. said i ly and rearwardly :in-

ends with bearings for shafts 76, 77 carrying rollers 78, 79 over which the conveyer is trained. The roller carrying shaft 77 at the upper rearward end of the trough is connected by a driving chain 80`with shaft 81 which is driven by means of a transmission chain -82 from the counter shaft 36 from which motionl is thus imparted to the secondary conveyer.

Over the tail end of the conveyer734 the ears of corn are discharged on a grate, the bars of which 83, best seen in Figs. 1 and 4, are disposed transversely with respect to the main frame of the machine, said bars having their inner ends pivoted, as seen at 84, on a stationary frame bar 98, while the outer end's of said rate bars are pivotally connected at 86 wlth a movable bar 87 to which, reciprocatory movement is imparted by means of a pitman 88 connecting said reciprocatory bar with one end of a rocking member 89 which is fulcrumed at 90, see Fig. v2,

and which is actuated by means of a canl. 91 from the shaft 77. Most of the ears that `are elevated by means of the conveyers 65 and 73 are apt to be disposed lengthwise with respect to the frame of the machlne.

- The purpose ofthe rocking grate bars 83 is to turn such of the ears as are lengthwise disposed until theyl are disposed lengthwise with respecttothe rolls of the husking mechanism, said rolls being arranged transversely with respect to the frame, as will be presently seen. y Y

, TheY husking rolls 92, of which any desired number may be used, are mounted for rotation in a casing or housing 93 at the tail vend of the machine, the axes of said rolls being disposed in substantially parallel relation to the shafts over which the conveyers and 73 are trained, thus positioning the said husking rolls transversely with respect to the main frame of the machine. All the husking rolls are' connected together by 1ntermeshing gears 94 in a manner wluch 1s well known in machines of this class, and

' guide bars or rods of triangular cross section are mounted above the rolls so as to guide the ears to the interspaces between coacting rolls. The individual husklng rolls may be longitudinally grooved, as will be best seen in the detail view Fig. 11, but husking rolls of any well known and approved construction may be employed. The husking rolls are disposed in an inclined plane, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 4, said rolls being inclined downwardly towardgone side of the main frame of the machine. Presser bars 96 consisting of resilient mtal strips are secured at 97 on the frame bar '98, said presser bars havinv olf-sets 99 by means of which the ears o corn may readily pass from the grate bars in the direction of the opposite ends of the presser bars which are .carrying springs 101, whereby the lower ends of the presser bars are forced in the directionl of the husking rolls, thereby exerting on the ears of corn passing beneath said presser bars a degree of pressure which will insure the husks being engaged by the husking rolls so as to be stripped or detached from the ears.

The husking rolls receive motion from the shaft 81 through the medium of an idle pinion 102 which meshes on the one hand with the pinion 94 of one of the husking rolls and on the other hand with a pinion 103 of special construction carried by the shaft 81, said pinion having obliquely disposed teeth so as to properly mesh with the teeth of the idler 102, which latter is obliquely disposed to correspond with the slantof the husking rolls.

Thespecial construction of the transmission' means just described will be clearly understood by reference to Figs. 8, 9 and 10.

Supported beneath the husking rolls is a sieve or screen 105 and a reciprocatory fishback conveyer 106, the sieve 105 permitting the passage of grains or kernels that become detached from the ears in the husking process to the conveyer 106, while the husks will drop on the sieve 105. Supported for rotation adjacent to the upper and lower ends of the husking rolls are shafts 107, 108 over which an endless conveyer or drag 109 is trained, said drag being equipped with transverse slats 110. The upper lead of this drag serves to move the ears from which the husks have been detached in the direction of the lower ends of the husking rolls over one side of the main frame of the machine.

The .upper end of the conveyer 106 is supported by the crank 112 of a shaft 113 driven by a chain 104 from the shaft 107, the latter having a bevel gear 114 that meshes with a bevel gear 115 on the shaft81 from which motion will thus be transmitted to the fishback conveyer.

The elevator 111, which is of angular shape, as clearly seen in Fig. 4, is trained over suitable guides and shafts, one of which, 116, receives motion from the shaft 108 by a transmission chain 117.

For the purpose of propelling the machine over the field the ground wheels 17 are equipped with spur wheels 118, the^same meshing with pi'nions 119- on atshaft 120, said shaft carrying reversing mechanism comprising two opposed ,bevel gears 121 which are mounted on aslidable hub 122, and either one of which may be placed in mesh with. a bevel pinion 123 on one end of 20 rod 134 has a worm 136 meshing with a gear a longitudinally disposed shaft 124, the other-end of which carries a bevel gear 125 meshi with a bevel gear 126 on the counter sha 27, saidbevel gear 126 being revoluble on said shaft 27 with which it may be connected for rotation by a clutch 127 which may be thrown in or `out of gear with respect, to the bevel gear 126 by means of a bell crank 128 which 1s connected by a rod 129 cluding a steering rod -134 having a hand Wheel 135 whereby it may be rotated. The

137 -having a radial arm 138 which is connected by a rod 139 with a bar 140, whereby cranks 141 are connected together, said..

cranks being mounted on rods 142 of square lor non-circular cross section, said rods being slidable in socketsforme'd for their reception in the Vupright rods having the spindles 19 on which the steering wheels 18 are supported. 'It will be readily seen that when the 'cranks 141 are turned or manipulated, the upright rods carrying the wheels will be correspondingly turned, thereby steering the machine in the desired direction. Lugs or brackets 143 are mounted on the frame of the machine beneath the cranks 141 for the purpose of'supporting the said cranks aswell as the rods 142at a constant w elevation with respect to the frame of the machine, the forward end of said" frame be ing vertically adjustable.

For the purpose of effecting vertical ad- 'justment of the forward end of the machine .a drum shaft 144 is provided, said drum shaft having a hand wheel 145 and a drum 146 on which may be wound a iexible element 147, one end of which is connected with the upper end of one of the upright rods 2O` having the spindles 19 on which the front wheels are mounted. The flexible element is guided over a pulley 148 mounted for rotation on the Aframe of the machine'n'ear the lower edge thereof so that by winding 'the7l flexible element 14'( on the drum, the frame will-be lifted, the non-circular rods 142 sliding upwardly in the sockets of the rods 20 so that, bylifting or adjusting the front end of the machine, the steering mechanism will not be disconnected or thrown out ofgear.V Re' verse rotation or the drum shaft 144 is prevented by a ratchet wheel 149 on said steeringrod, the same being engaged` by a dog or pawl 150 on the frame oi the machine.

From the 4foregoing description, taken in 1 Leader? invention will be readily understood.. by.

those skilled in the art to which it appertains. Asthe machine advances over the field, the corn stalks will be guided'between the snapping rolls, and the ears will be detached from the stalks by the conjoint action of the snapping` rolls and the blades 56, 58, one of which is movably supported so as to assist in snapping or breaking the stems whereby the ears are connected with the stalks. The stalks are pulled downwardly below the frame of the machine which passes over them. The ears are conveyed by the conveying devices 65 and 73 to the husking device, where the said ears are deposited on the grate having the movably supportedv yb'ars 83, and whereby theears are straighthned out to a longitudinal position with respect to the husking rolls. The ears now are carried by the drag or conveyer 109l overA the husking rolls and beneath the presser bars 96 whereby the ears are forced into engagement with thehusking rolls. Afterbeing deprived of the husks the ears are discharged over the'lower end of the drag 96 upon the elevator 111. The husks which drop on the sieve are dragged in the opposite direction and dropped on the ground at the side of the machine. Detached grams or kernels pass through the sieve 105 to the ishback conveyer )106 and are deposited on the elevator 111 whereby, together wlth the lhusked ears, said 'grains are'conveyed'to a convenient receptacle which may/consist of the box or body of a wagon which is'driven alongside of the harvesting machine.

A It will thus be seen that by the improve machine coinmaybe harvested and husked in a simple, economical and labor savino' manner, without danger of losing' any v uable parts and at a single operation.

Having thus described the invention,

is claimed as new, isz- 1. lin a corn harvester, a device for snap-4 ping or detaching ears from corn stalks, the' same including a pair of rolls between which a corn `stalk is guided and whereby it is. pulled downwardly, a stationary blade mounted above and adjacent to one of the rolls, av bracket supported above and adl1a'cent to the other roll, a guide pin on said bracket, a movable blade having a slot enwhat' gaging the guide pin, and a driven shaft having a crank engaging the movable blade to impart thereto-a vibratory and also-a longitudinal motion.,-.v 2. In a corn harvester, a device forsvna. ping or detaching ears from corn stalks, t e same including a pair of rolls between which al corn stalk is guided and whereby fit isl pulled downwardly, a; stationary blade inounted above and adjacent to one of the v rolls, a bracket supported above and adjacent to the other roll, a guide pin on said bracket, a movable blade having a slot engaging the guide pin, and a driven shaft having a crank engaging the movable blade to impart thereto a vibratory and also a 1ongtudinal motion, said movable blade having a serrated edge facing the stationary' blade ROBERT E. MEHARRY.

Witnesses ROY BARNES, B. T. JONES.

and operating to impart a feed movement to the stalks,

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two witnesses. 

